Plant Guide

Blackberry : Marion

Medium-large, bright black berries with an earthy tart sweet flavor

Mid season bearer. A vigorous trailing vine that grows up to 20' long. Good for local fresh markets, canning, freezing, pies, ice cream flavoring, jams and jellies. Good shelf life. High quality, with flavor superior to Boysenberry. A cane berry hybrid frome 'Chehalem' and 'Olallie' developed in 1945 at Oregon State University that has gone on to dominate the commercial blackberry market.

This is an example of the timeline you would see based on your growing conditions.

Blackberry: Trailing Blackberries

Marion

Trailing blackberries are vigorous, crown forming, require a trellis for support, and are less cold hardy than the erect or semi-erect blackberries. Trailing Blackberries are actually a cross between blackberries and raspberries.

In mild climates Blackberry plants can be planted any time they are dormant from late autumn to early spring. In colder climates they are usually planted in spring. Of course the soil should not be frozen, so the temperature should be above 32˚ F.

Blackberries are naturally quite drought tolerant (I have been amazed at their ability to survive months without water), but won't produce much fruit if they aren't given plenty of water during their budding and growth period. Lack of moisture when fruiting will result in smaller fruit that may not ripen properly. Water is also important after fruiting for the production of replacement shoots. Give the plants at least 1” of water per week or more if necessary.